The time has finally arrived, ladies and gentlemen. The votes have been cast and opinions made. It’s time to run down our picks for the 90th annual Academy Awards. Everyone worth their weight in salt knows how important the crown jewel of Award Season is, so that’s why we’re doing something special for these predictions. Rather than making picks by myself, I’m joined by a good friend and bona fide cinefile: Tristan Zelden, founder of Tristan Zelden Thoughts.

There are no stipulations for these picks. They might be made based on who we believe is most deserving, others by personal enjoyment. These are all who we think or want to take home the gold. So sit back, relax, and take a look at our picks for EVERY award up for grabs (and a little insight for a few of the major awards).

Aaron’s Pick: Willem Dafoe. I was absolutely floored by Dafoe’s performance in this film. While he’s not the focus, he provides a lead-quality performance. He feels the most human out of all of the nominated roles and he truly shines in the scenes where he becomes protective of the children. An absolutely stunning performance.Tristan’s Pick: Richard Jenkins. Jenkins is a master of a wide variety of genres. You truly get to see him shine here with this quirky neighbor who loves his work as an artist and his favorite pie. You feel his struggle to want to support Eliza and her new found lover but is stricken by confusion, is worried for her safety, and uncertainty about what repercussions will happen. He is arguably the best part of a film with an excellent cast and characters.

Best Supporting Actress

Aaron’s Pick: Allison Janney. I was tempted to go with Lesley Manville for her ability to go tit for tat with Daniel Day-Lewis, but I just can’t ignore the stellar performance by Janney. Funny and vile, she made me love laughing at her and hate loving her.Tristan’s Pick: Octavia Spencer. She was much more than just a supporting character; playing a supportive friend who brought comedy just like the rest of the main cast. Octavia has a special performance when the movie goes in for its darker and more dramatic scenes. Her emotion strikes the heart of the audience thanks to her powerful presence.

Best Actress

Aaron’s Pick: Frances McDormand. McDormand has been the darling of Award Season and I don’t think that’ll change here. She gives a strong, powerful, funny, and heartfelt performance that gives Three Billboards the sting to its punch.Tristan’s Pick: Sally Hawkins. Hawkinswas able to deliver a compelling performance without uttering a word. Her character had a depth that Sally was able to bring to life. She was able to show a wide range of emotions through hand gestures, posture, and facial expressions to make for a lovable character who you want the best for.

Best Actor

Aaron’s Pick: Timothée Chalamet. While I think Oldman will ultimately be the one to walk away with the statue, I genuinely believe Chalamet gave the best performance. Some might consider the acting and emotion “stiff,” but I see it as someone who doesn’t understand the feelings he’s going through and feels isolated. He struggles between his real self and a facade that gives added weight to his performance.Tristan’s Pick: Daniel Kaluuya. Kaluuya’s performance matched everything that made Get Out what it was. The film gave audiences many emotions, and often times you felt the way Daniel’s character felt. The painful, awkward moments between meeting these bizarre family members of his girlfriend to the intensity of the film’s climax, there was a wide range of situations that needed the right man for the job. Plus, like many British actors, his American accent was excellently done.

Best Director

Aaron’s Pick: Guillermo del Toro. If you’ve followed the blog for a bit, you’ll know how much I love Guillermo del Toro. While everyone nominated brought their A-game, I feel the overall product, from inception to execution, was done best by del Toro. His dark fairytales have touched audiences for a while, but now he’ll finally have the chance to get the proper recognition for his efforts.Tristan’s Pick: Jordan Peele. For a debut film, Peele was able to deliver a well-executed, brilliant, and unique horror flick. Jordan had a vision for the film that would give the audience a thought-provoking, funny, and disturbing horror movie that takes a look into racism in a way that no movie has before.

Best Picture

Aaron’s Pick: Call Me By Your Name. I flip-flopped between this and Lady Bird and the other nominees weren’t even close, but my heart and mind kept pulling me back to Call Me By Your Name. I’ve seen this so many times and yet it keeps getting more beautiful and touching each time I watch it. It has a diverse look that the Academy has been pining for recently, the entire cast is charismatic, it’s beautiful looking, and it tugs at the heart. It’s the whole package. It simultaneously gets more beautiful and harder to watch with each subsequent viewing. An absolutely spellbinding film, I want nothing more than for it to take home the Oscar it so desperately deserves.Tristan’s Pick: The Shape of Water. Despite a ridiculous story between a woman falling in love with a fish man, this film is almost flawlessly executed to make one of the best love stories in years. It’s beautiful in every aspect of the story, characters, and look. The blend of horror, sci-fi, comedy, drama, and romance is a perfect mix to give the audience a roller coaster of emotions.

That’s it for our predictions for the 90th Academy Awards and a special thanks to Tristan for joining me for these picks. Be sure to check out more of Tristan’s content here.

Do you agree with our picks? Let us know in the comments and be sure to tune in to the Oscars at 8:00 p.m. on March 4th.